Countywide : To Fake a Big Quake, You Need Volunteers
To make a fake earthquake look real, you need victims, so organizers of a disaster drill are putting out the call for people who can feign grave injuries.
The simulated major temblor that is scheduled to “strike” three days in a row beginning May 27 will kill about 30 people and injure 170 others, cause buildings to collapse and start fires. To give it a touch of authenticity and provide paramedics and other officials with bodies to patch up, about 200 volunteers will be needed.
The disaster drill is held every year in the county in preparation for a real quake, but the site and dates are switched to test public safety efforts in different areas. The drills this year will be held in Brea on May 27, Huntington Beach on May 28 and in Irvine on May 29.
The volunteers should be 18 years or older and have no medical problems that might complicate the test, said Marilee Miller of the county’s Emergency Medical Services Department.
Participants will be briefed on their roles at sessions scheduled for UCI Medical Center in Orange on May 13 and 14. To volunteer, call UCI at (714) 634-5561 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
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